Motherheast Ohio USA, is a place where the waves of media influence from the east and the west coasts seem to come crashing in and collide, the result being a splashing forth of some unique talent individuals.
It was there, in 1969 midway between the towns of Warren and Cortland, that five determined young musicians, Ray Escott - Lead Vocals, LJ Fortier - Drums, John Harrow - Lead Guitar, Vocals, "Buster" McCarthy - Bass, Vocals, and Kurt Sunderman - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, started getting together in the damp basement of LJ's parents home on Sunday mornings in aa effort to try to carry on with their dreams of being in a successful Rock band.
Having won the Starshine Productions' "Battle of the Bands" in 1970, the five-member Freeman Sound was established as the most popular of several bands (including Morly Grey), that had records released on the Starshine label. This special collection of original songs and sounds is an exciting bit of rock history that documents some of the charm, wit and depth of talent that made Freeman Sound the special local phenomenon they were.
This release includes 12 great, quality tracks with bio and photos. You'll get stoned on some mind-bending vocals backed by instrumentation that includes some very intense, heavy fuzz and wah pedal guitar sounds, solid drums and a screaming organ, with flashes of famous British groups. Prepare to get off on cuts like the 17 minute "Heavy Trip #70", the Hendrix-like "Tomorrow Is Plastic" and what we would venture to say is the heaviest version of Merle Travis' "16 Tons" ever recorded! This band broke up before they were able to make the most of their popularity.
L.J. Fortier's - page
Tracks
1. Tomorrow Is Plastic - 4:13
2. Heavy Trip #70 - 17:25
3. All I Need - 4:38
4. If I Could Only - 5:17
5. Wanting To Be Free (John Harrow) - 3:57
6. All Roads Lead Home - 5:37
7. 16 Tons (M. Travis) - 3:50
8. Singing My Own Song - 3:20
9. On The Way - 3:34
10.Get It While You Can - 2:24
11.I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You Babe - 3:52
12.Christmas Card - 2:24
All songs by L.J. Fortier except where indicated.
The band that called itself Savage Grace was biting off a lot, even by heightened late 60's standards. As their name suggests, they aimed to contain all the extremes of that heady era. Tempered by the famously discerning and demanding Michigan audiences of the time, the group's live performances made full use of the high energy principles that distinguished the Detroit scene.
But that was only a part of of Savage Grace’s sublime design. The core trio that began playing bars on the Motor City's east side as the Scarlet Letter couldn't have been less like your customary neighbourhood rock band. Guitarist/vocalist Ron Koss was a streetwise kid who’d cut his teeth playing with local r&b heavyweights the Midnighters, Marv Johnson and Wilson Pickett. Keyboard maestro John Seanor was the product of classical education, while drummer Larry Zack aspired to Jazz.
When they added precipices 18 year old bassist/vocalist Al Jacquez to complete the quartet rechristened Savage, his unschooled hard rock energy was the ideal complement to this perfectly imperfect union of styles. The collective sound forged by these four individuals was not simply a composite. It was a fluid changing thing, as each musician’s voice challenged for a place in the stylistic mix. The resulting tension was not always confined to the art, but it produced a music that, although meticulously composed, sounded like it was being redefined each time it was played.
Commercially speaking of course Savage Grace left themselves an awful lot of cracks to fall though, and fall they did after only two albums. Luckily we have the safety net of history, from which nothing of merit escapes. And now that dreams seem at a premium, it becomes increasingly important to remember a time when people didn't worry about living large, they dreamed large, and the rest followed.
by Ben Edmonds
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Come On Down (Ron Koss) - 4:22
2. Lady Rain (John Seanor) - 5:10
3. Dear Lenore (Ron Koss) - 5:27
4. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan) - 5:46
5. Hymn To Freedom (Oscar Peterson, H. Hamilton) - 5:24
6. 1984 (Ron Koss, John Seanor) - 3:22
7. Night Of The Hunter (Ron Koss) - 4:34
8. Turn Your Head (Ron Koss) - 5:57
9. Ivy (Ron Koss) - 4:08
Disc 2
1. Mother's Son (JohnSeanor) - 3:48
2. Tinboy (John Seanor) - 3:39
3. Sandscript (Al Jacquez, Jeff Jones) - 3:19
4. Roll River Roll (Ron Koss, John Seanor) - 1:59
5. Yonder (Ron Koss) - 5:10
6. She's A Woman (Ron Koss) - 4:05
7. Macon, Georgia (John Seanor, Ron Koss) - 3:54
8. Blindman (John Seanor, Ron Koss) - 3:55
9. She Comes And Goes (Ron Koss, John Seanor) - 3:12
10. E'lana (John Seanor) - 1:46
11. Lady Of The Mountain (John Seanor) - 4:43
Savage Grace
*John Seanor - Piano, Harpsichord
*Larry Zack - Drums, Percussion
*Al Jacquez - Lead Vocals, Bass
*Ron Koss - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Top-notch psychedelic box set capturing the far out sound of 1967, focussing mainly on classic underground bands, such as The Pretty Things, Human Instinct, Tintern Abbey and Fleur De Lys, who blend with some who became household names later, such as David Bowie and Marc Bolan.
The psychedelic road has always taken many twists and turns, and this was just as true in 1967 as it is now. The art of a good psychedelic box set is balance and variety, and Cherry Red have definitely succeeded in both, as they did with their Love Poetry and Revolution box set, a couple of years ago. Every shade is included here.
Although Let’s Go Down deals mainly with the underground sounds of 1967, a few familiar-to-most names pop up, such as The Move (Vote For me), The Moody Blues (Life’s Not Life) and Dave Davies from The Kinks (Funny Face), all with lesser-known songs than the ones that made them superstars. And amongst the more underground acts, you can see how some of the featured selections echo their more famous counterparts. Take Turquoise, here under an alias, The Brood, with Village Green. It’s a different Village Green to the song by The Kinks, but it’s along the same lines. Bandwagon jumpers? Or did they record theirs first? Who cares: just enjoy the music!
And in a similar way, it’s interesting to see that during this time of high creativity and experimentation, certain records like say Rain by The Beatles or A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procul Harum set blueprints, forming their own sub-genres within the psychedelic spectrum. Check out The Mirage: Lazy Man and Rupert’s People: Reflections of Charlie Brown, respectively. And then there’s joyous freakbeat shenanigans from the likes of Human Instinct, with A Day In My Mind’s Mind – from a totally different end of the psych spectrum
Balancing the rocking stuff with the more laidback, it’s great to see Jason Crest here under their previous name The Good Thing Brigade, with the lazy organ-fuelled My House Is Burning. You think you know Arthur Brown, he of The Crazy World and the God of Hell Fire? Think again! On Give Him a Flower, the wonderfully camp and distinctly English song of his on this box set, he sounds more like Kevin Ayers. And while we’re on the bonkers British tip, check out Granny Takes a Trip by Purple Gang
Marc Bolan pops up from his pre-fame days as a member of the Mod-psych warriors, John’s Children, with Desdemona. And speaking of pre-fame, David Bowie is here too as The Riot Squad, with Toy Soldier, a slightly dodgy ode to S&M, with lyrics that echo the Velvets’ Venus in Furs.
Far too many gems here to mention: hearing is believing. And as always with Cherry Red, it comes with great artwork & photos, plus all the information you need about the records, captured in a 44 page booklet. Some of the tracks are alternate versions and some are on CD for the first time. And it’s good news for those who already have an interest in the British psych/freakbeat movement, via compilations such as the Rubble series, because there is plenty of material here that won’t overlap, and no really obvious choices.
by Arash Torabi
Artist - Tracks - Composer
Disc 1
1. The Alan Bown - Toyland (Jess Roden, Tony Catchpole) - 2:55
2. The Attack - Magic In The Air (John Du Cann) - 3:38
3. The Tickle - Subway (Smokey Pokey World) (David Stuart Williams, Mick Wayne) - 2:41
4. Episode Six - I Can See Through You (Roger Glover) - 3:24
5. Dantalian's Chariot - The Madman Running Through The Fields (Andy Summers, Zoot Money) - 4:11
6. Geranium Pond - Dogs In Baskets - 2:05
7. The Scots Of St. James - Eiderdown Clown (Alan Gorrie, Graham Maitland) - 2:15
8. George Alexander - Dear Delilah (George Alexander) - 2:53
9. The Sorrows - Pink Purple Yellow And Red (Guido Podesta, Gianfranco Reverberi) - 2:49
10.The Mirage - Lazy Man (David Hynes) - 3:00
11.The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Give Him A Flower (Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane) - 3:01
12.Tintern Abbey - Tanya (Dave McTavish) - 2:56
13.Fleur-De-Lys - Prodigal Son (Gordon Hionides, Bryn Haworth) - 1:59
14.The Lomax Alliance - See The People (John Cannon, Tom Peters) - 2:14
15.The Mickey Finn - Time To Start Loving You (Alan Mark, Bernard Jory, Mickey Waller) - 2:40
16.The Fingers - I Hear The Sun (John Bobin, Peter Eden, Richard Mills) - 2:01
17.Crocheted Doughnut Ring - Nice (Bert Pulham, Dave Skates, George Bird, John Chapel, Richard Mills, Gerald Chevin, Peter Eden) - 3:05
18.The Good Thing Brigade - My House Is Burning (Terry Clarke, Terry Dobson) - 3:22
Ultra is a home grown hard hitting classic rock band from San Antonio, Texas. Mixing southern blues, psychedelic rock and pro-metal.
Well-known, Ultra had its beginnings with “Homer”, who was made up of some of San Antonio’s finest musicians. They continue to amaze audiences and players alike after 30 plus years. They are part of the Texas musical elite that found success as musicians, recording engineers and writers. Being a success in the industry even for a short time is difficult. To pass into legend status, is rare. In the 70’s when rock n roll was still exploding, they, as many bands do, went through changes. When Ultra’s line up and signature style evolved to its final incarnation a rich music heritage was born.
Between 1975 through 1978 Ultra released one 5 track EP and recorded several demo tracks, which were never made public. Being an opening band can sometimes be a stepping-stone to stardom but this was not the case for these musicians. The band was never under contract and their roadies were receiving more pay than the band. To make matter worse. By 1978, the band had finally had enough and they decided to disband.
by Tess DeFlori
Tracks
1. Mutants - 3:29
2. Android - 3:10
3. Battery - 4:08
4. Ten Years Since - 4:18
5. Lamp Black, White Fight - 2:51
6. Windjammer - 3:40
7. Diggin' Deep - 4:31
8. Circe - 4:51
9. Seasons Pass - 4:16
10.City on Ice - 4:33
11.The Desert - 4:32
12.Souled There With Care - 3:51
13.Man on the Street - 4:06
14.Get Away - 4:02
15.Compass - 5:16
16.Hot n Cold - 3:40
All songs by Don Evans, Galen Niles, Larry McGuffin
Joe Soap was a band comprised of John Tennent and David Morrison and the album "Tennent & Morrison" {Polydor, 1972) was their first album. It was recorded with several members of Stone the Crows (Jimmy, Ronnie Leahy, Steven Thompson, Colin Allen), plus Herbie Flowers (bass) and Clem Cattini (drums). Their second album, "Keep It Clean" (as Joe Soap) (Polydor, 1973), featured Gerry Conway (drums, later in Jethro Tull) and Mik Kaminski (violin, from ELO).
Although they were regarded as a second class British rock bands in the early 70s' they were very good indeed. They were one of the most underrated bands in the British rock & pop history. The album features ten tracks composed by John and David with help of Sandy Robertson (producer). Two guys rather thick but fascinating voices diffuse strong masculine beauty in all tracks.
In addition to it, a mastermind violinist Mike Kaminski's scattering violin features most of the tracks especially on "Feel Strange" and "On The Wing" are just superb. Jimmy McCulloch's intense guitar domains on every track as well. Overall, the album is an awesome combo set of typical British rock classics with strong American southern rock flavor
Both Tennent and Morrison and Keep It Clean are now extremely rare and occasionally surface on the collectors' market. After they release two albums, both John and David are not active as musicians but their talents and the albums still remain even now.
CD Liner-notes
Tracks
1. Talkin"Bout You - 4:12
2. Warning Sign - 2:58
3. Lay It On Me - 7:05
4. Whatever The Song Is Now (Tennent) - 3:09
5. Get Out From Under - 3:00
6. Feels Strange - 3:24
7. On The Wing (Morrison) - 3:27
8. Time - 3:46
9. All Out Now - 3:22
10. Birdman (Tennent) – 3:33
All compositions by John Tennent, Dave Morrison unless as else indicated
The Allman Brothers Band's first Number One album, 1973's Brothers and Sisters, was a miracle of recovery and reinvention amid grim, enforced change: the deaths, in 1971 and 1972, respectively, of guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley. Guitarist Dickey Betts took a greater leading and writing role, increasing the country light and buoyancy in the Allmans' electric-blues stampede ("Ramblin' Man," "Southbound," "Jessica") as new pianist Chuck Leavell added more barrelhouse and fusion dynamics.
The road to that symmetry is caught in this four-CD set by a disc of rehearsals and outtakes that sounds like the work of a more brawny, Southern Grateful Dead, at once winding ("A Minor Jam"), earthy and hurting (Gregg Allman's howling in Ray Charles' "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town"). A complete 1973 concert from San Francisco's Winterland shows the new lineup's confidence and style of ascension (the stately, climbing pathos in the middle of "Whipping Post") at bright, striving length – before the family really fell apart.
by David Fricke
To say the Allman Brothers Band were up against a wall in the fall of 1972 would be something of an understatement. Just a year before, they had lost guitarist and co-founder Duane Allman in a motorcycle accident. In November 1972, during the recording of their fifth album, ‘Brothers and Sisters,’ their bass player, Berry Oakley, met a similar fate on his bike just three blocks from where Allman was tragically struck and killed.
You’d think all of this would make Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts and the rest of the band throw their hands up and give in, or at least deliver an album full of dire tunes. But that wasn’t the case when ‘Brothers and Sisters’ finally arrived in stores in August 1973.
Not only did the record continue on in the tradition of their previous LPs, the record’s gatefold sleeve features photos of drummer Butch Trucks’ young son and the grinning Brittany Oakley, the late bassist’s daughter. The picture captures a slight moment of innocence and hope, plopped right onto the cover as if to declare, “Everything is going to be all right.”
‘Brothers and Sisters” opening track, ‘Wasted Words,’ is classic Gregg Allman, boasting an urgency boosted by by Betts’ excellent slide work. ‘Ramblin’ Man’ reached No. 2 on the singles chart, becoming the band’s only Top 10 hit. It’s no surprise that it was so successful: The song is the audio equivalent of a cloudless sky. Tie these in with the driving ‘Southbound,’ the entrancing instrumental ‘Jessica’ and the stomp of ‘Pony Boy,’ and you have one of the group’s most enduring albums.
‘Brothers and Sisters’ chills the longnecks and lets the smoke rise on its own. And it’s the perfect portrait of the band before they stumbled into the rest of the ’70s, which were filled with halfhearted records like ‘Win, Lose or Draw’ and ‘Enlightened Rogues,’ various addictions and Cher.
by Tony Rettman
Tracks
Disc 1 "Brothers And Sisters" (Remastered)
1. Wasted Words (Gregg Allman) - 4:20
2. Ramblin' Man (Richard Betts) - 4:48
3. Come And Go Blues (Gregg Allman) - 4:55
4. Jelly Jelly (Trade Martin) - 5:46
5. Southbound (Richard Betts) - 5:10
6. Jessica (Richard Betts) - 7:31
7. Pony Boy (Richard Betts) - 5:51
Disc 2 "Rehearsals, Jams And Outtakes" (Previously Unreleased)
1. Wasted Words (Gregg Allman) - 5:06
2. Trouble No More (McKinley Morganfield) - 3:58
3. Southbound (Richard Betts) - 5:56
4. One Way Out (Elmore James, Marshall Sehorn, Sonny Boy Williamson) - 5:38
5. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town (William Weldon) - 11:14
6. Done Somebody Wrong (Elmore James) - 3:50
7. Double Cross (Gregg Allman) - 4:35
8. Early Morning Blues (Gregg Allman) - 9:27
9. A Minor Jam (Butch Trucks, Chuck Leavell, Jaimoe, Lamar Williams, Les Dudek) - 16:29
Disc 3 "Live At Winterland", September 26, 1973
1. Introduction By Bill Graham - 1:23
2. Wasted Words (Gregg Allman) - 5:17
3. Done Somebody Wrong (Elmore James) - 4:01
4. One Way Out (Elmore James, Marshall Sehorn, Sonny Boy Williamson) - 8:44
5. Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) - 8:12
6. Midnight Rider (Gregg Allman) - 3:34
7. Ramblin' Man (Richard Betts) - 7:33
8. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed (Richard Betts) - 17:20
9. Statesboro Blues (Will McTell) - 4:27
10.Come And Go Blues (Gregg Allman) - 5:12
Disc 4 "Live At Winterland", September 26, 1973
1. Southbound (Richard Betts) - 6:01
2. Jessica (Richard Betts) - 9:46
3. You Don't Love Me (Includes Amazing Grace) (Willie Cobbs / Traditional) - 10:49
4. Les Brers In A Minor (With Drum Solo) (Richard Betts) - 25:49
5. Blue Sky (Richard Betts) - 4:49
6. Trouble No More (McKinley Morganfield) - 4:47
7. Whipping Post (Gregg Allman) - 15:04
The Allman Brothers Band
*Gregg Allman – Lead, Background Vocals, Organ, Rhythm Guitar
*Richard Betts – Lead Vocals, Lead, Slide Guitar, Dobro
*Berry Oakley – Bass
*Lamar Williams – Bass
*Chuck Leavell - Piano, Electric Piano, Background Vocals
*Jaimoe – Drums, Congas
*Butch Trucks – Drums, Percussion, Tympani, Congas With
*Les Dudek – Lead Guitar (Disc 1 Track 2), Acoustic Guitar (Disc 1 Track 6)
Clive Robin Sarstedt (born 21 January 1944 - died from a heart attack, on 22 January 2022, at the age of 78) was a British pop music singer and instrumentalist who is best known for his UK hit "My Resistance Is Low", a cover of a song written and originally recorded by Hoagy Carmichael. He is the younger brother of musicians Eden Kane and Peter Sarstedt.
Born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, in Northern India, to parents who were British civil servants. He is the youngest brother of Peter Sarstedt and Richard Sarstedt (billed as "Eden Kane") and has recorded and played guitar on Sarstedt Brothers recordings. Sarstedt has appeared on many live music shows including Top of The Pops.
“Freeway Getaway” is Clive Surteed's second solo album from '71. Songs with just the right sweetness and melancholy melodies coexist perfectly with the crisp, defined swamp sound, making it thoroughly enjoyable all the way through.
Tracks
1. Last Day Of My Life (Clive Sarstedt, Mike Woods, Peter Sarstedt) - 2:46
2. Glad You Could Come Along - 3:39
3. Into Your Station (Paul Korda) - 2:55
4. Joey Friendship - 2:34
5. Six Feet Under - 3:16
6. I'll Play My Guitar - 2:38
7. Law Of The Gun - 2:53
8. Freeway Getaway - 3:25
9. Thanks Anyway - 2:38
10.Shelby Farm (Clive Sarstedt, Mike Woods, Peter Sarstedt) - 4:06
11.I Can Hear Something - 3:03
All compositions by Clive Sarstedt except where indicated
Musicians
*Mike Woods - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar
*Mike Storey - Piano, Harmonium, Organ, Harmonica
*Alan Gorrie - Bass Guitar
*Stuart Francis - Drums
*Peter Sarstedt - Acoustic Guitar
*Clive Sarstedt - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals
Rare Bird was an early British prog rock band. The band formed in October 1969, and got their debut album out the following month, which is really quite an accomplishment, since it usually takes a band a year or more after their formation to get an album out, not to mention it usually takes two or three months to get the album out after the band records it.
This was the very first album ever released on Charisma, the same label that gave us Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator/Peter Hammill, Lindisfarne, Capability Brown, and even Monty Python. Rare Bird was an odd band, for they had two keyboardists (David Kaffinetti on electric piano, Graham Field on organ), as well as bassist (Steve Gould, who also handled vocals), and drummer (Mark Ashton), but no one on guitar. It's interesting to note that Kaffinetti later appeared on the infamous 1984 movie of a mock heavy metal band, This Is Spinal Tap. By that time, his name was shortened to David Kaff. He played Vic on that film.
Rare Bird had a rather unique sound and the powerful vocals of Steve Gould helps. The album has some really great prog rock numbers like "Beautiful Scarlet", "Iceberg", and the ever sinister "God of War" (my favorite). The album also features "Sympathy" which was actually a hit for these guys in Continental Europe. Written, obviously, during the Vietnam War-era, the song features lyrics I feel are just as relevant today (if not more so): "Sympathy is what we need, my friend/'Cause there's not enough love to go around" and "Half the world hates the other half/and half the world has all the food/and half the world lies down and quietly starves/'Cause there's not enough love to go around". In this era of conservative politicians screwing us all, and threats of going to war in the Middle East, it's real easy to relate to this song.
"Times" is an odd one, because it starts off sounds like a 1950s song, sounding like how Little Richard might sound like if he played organ rather than piano, then the second half goes in to more typical prog rock territory. There are a couple of other shorter pieces like "You Went Away", "Nature's Fruit", and "Bird On a Wing" which are all great songs.
I always felt Rare Bird's debut is a bit underrated compared to their 1970 followup As Your Mind Flies By, in fact I actually prefer this album to As Your Mind Flies By (which is a fine album, by the way). More great music, particularly if you like early, organ-driven British
by Ben Miler
Tracks
1. Iceberg - 6:56
2. Times - 3:24
3. You Went Away - 4:39
4. Melanie - 3:28
5. Beautiful Scarlet - 5:23
6. Sympathy - 2:30
7. Nature's Fruit - 2:32
8. Bird On A wing - 4:13
9. God Of War - 5:30
10.Devil's High Concern - 2:47
11.Sympathy - 2:34
All songs written by Graham Field, Dave Kaffinetti, Steve Gould, Mark Ashton
When purchasing a record guide book, I have learned to look carefully. The way I have learned to go about this is to skip to something I have a very strong opinion about anyway, like for instance, Funkadelic. Yeah! Funkadelic is a great example because most guide books, the ones that use the “star” rating system seem to go by maybe the Billboard chartings, I guess. Most will tell you that Funkadelic’s greatest LP, the one to start with, is “One Nation Under A Groove”. That’s the “5 star”. And my favorite, “America eats It’s Young” gets 1 1/2 stars or some shit. Know what I mean? Does this confuse what I already think? No. One of my biggest problems is that I tend to become a “superfan” of a group and if I like them I will end up buying them all, usually starting from the beginning and going until it washes out for me. But during a groups best years I will defend them for making their artistic statements! I will stick it out. And know that some of the best records are the ones that “grow” on you, right? There are also reasons for digging something from just a musician’s perspective, ya know. Like guitar tone, drum sounds, room reverb. Just sink in and become close to the atmosphere of the recording. Picture the scene outside the building the music was recorded in.
In 1971 it was a world of muscle cars, beer cans with pull tabs (that you could “daisy chain” together to make necklaces out of). The slang was different in 1971….the word on the street. The air smelled a little different, the sky was a little different blue. All the dudes had their cut of shorts on at the swimming hole. Rolled up American flag bandanas for headbands. Chics with their bikini’s. Joints rolled in strawberry papers. 8 tracks were as easy to come by as records. The street signs were different. Close your eyes and listen to the record and let it take you there. Because it is there, isn’t it? When the tape is rolling it is getting all that. When you hear the audiophiles talk about listening to the room. You get the word on the street, the daisy chains, the strawberry joints, the muscle cars….those are in the room too. That’s what was going on, in conversations, just before the tape started rolling.
In 1970, Columbia records, signed the Hampton Grease Band from Atlanta, GA. A band that had been around since the mid-60’s. A band that opened for the Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers Band. It is rumored that Hampton Grease Band’s 1971 Columbia masterpiece “Music To Eat” was the lowest selling LP that Columbia had made, at that time.
Hampton Grease Band is Bruce Hampton (later of Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarian Rescue Unit fame) on vocals and trumpet, Jerry Fields on drums, percussion, trombone and vocals, Mike Holbrook on bass, Harold Kelling on guitar and vocals and Glenn Phillips on guitar and sax. This album, classic double album is right away much like Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band…or The Mothers or The Fugs. In fact, after this album Frank Zappa supposedly signed them to his Straight/ Bizarre labels. I can’t find that they actually recorded and released anything as this band after Music To eat. There are a few reviews out there who just hate this record. It is a very noncommercial record. But hey….
This record is wild happy craziness! It is basically just 5 songs. Like I said, sort of like Capt. Beefheart’s Magic Band. Two absolutely excellent guitar players. An absolutely fantastic drummer and bass player, crazy spurts of horns, not a lot, just a little and not often. The guitar playing is so matched to each other. Not very distorted, just over driven a little, no effects. There are 4 songs reaching to 19 minutes plus and one song just over 5 minutes. The band plays together in that telepathic way on these long passages, it’s easy to just get lost in the jamming. And it’s not just one long “same” rambling jam either it goes from this to that in different, well arranged parts. The lyrics are, well….let’s just start from the beginning… the first tune is called “Halifax” and he sings it as if he is reading descriptions from the World Book encyclopedia about Halifax (Canada?) or Halifax travel bureau or something. “wouldn’t you like to come to Halifax?…air mass is moving eastwardly….” Maria is the only tune under 6 minutes. It speaks of a 13 year old boy named Sancho lusting after Maria who is 5 years older. They tell the story well with crazy laughter and all. At one point he is reading from a spray paint can (or that’s what it sounds like to me) “keep out of reach of children”….”contents are under pressure”. The last song “Hey Old lady and Bert’s Song…” they get into a southern rock jam that is right up there with early Allman Brothers with the dual guitars weaving together like snakes dancing. It is, to me, as focused as it is experimental.
Yep put this one on and listen to THIS sound of 1971. Hot summertime in Atlanta 1971. It is a light hearted beautiful trip….I love it.
Dean Wilden and Tony Decker are Fargo. Their home is Salt Lake City, Utah. People who meet them or hear their music find that fact incongruous, for thinking of Salt Lake City brings to mind the Tabernacle with its mysteries and its majesty and the descendents of Brigham Young quietly living their lives by that oddly isolated sea in the heartland of America. Somehow it's hard to imagine young contemporary singers-composers at work against this backdrop.
Twenty-one years of living in and around Utah and Colorado have been etched into their memories and have made the personalities of Tony and Dean. A mother plays the violin to entertain her children; a father softly strums his guitar in the evening; Sundays echo the magnificent music of the church.
There is always music—choir practice, school concerts and the radio bringing in the sounds of New York, Nashville and Hollywood. Two distinct musical personalities evolve, and upon meeting they merge, and the halfthought- out melodies of childhood can no longer wait to become songs.
I See it Now by Tony and Cross with No Name by Dean are new songs about Jesus. A Castle in Wales is about a castle in Wales, unless you want to search for hidden meanings. Lady Goodbye is a timeless morality ballad.
Here are Tony Decker and Dean Wilden with their songs and music. Not New York, Nashville or Hollywood – not even pure Salt Lake City - just FARGO.
Original Liner-notes
Tracks
1. 'Round About Way Of Describing Our Situation - 2:31
2. Lady Goodbye (Dean Wilden, Marty Cooper) - 1:50
3. The Sound Of It - 2:40
4. Places Everyone - 2:27
5. A Castle In Wales - 2:21
6. Talks We Used To Have - 2:30
7. When The Dew Drops Change To Teardrops (Dean Wilden) - 2:14
8. Promises Of Love - 2:16
9. You Need Me - 1:24
10.Cross With No Name - 2:48
11.I See It Now (Dean Wilden, Marty Cooper) - 2:26
All songs by Tony Decker except where noted
Fargo
*Dean Wilden - Vocals Guitar
*Tony Decker - Vocals Guitar With
*Terry Paul - Bass
*Rick Cunha - Guitar
